iOS 18: All the news in Italy (and why Apple Intelligence won't arrive)

Oh, finally here we are! This week the Apple ecosystem is preparing to receive a good dose of updates, and the main course is obviously the new iOS 18.

Yes, there will be a lot of news to discover and talk about, but don't get too hung up on your head, because the real revolution — Apple Intelligence — with us in Italy, we'll see it... let's say Not really right away. But we'll talk about that in a bit. In the meantime, let's see what this update brings us!

What time can we get our hands on iOS 18?

The update will be available starting at 19:00 on September 16, and it can be installed on a nice slew of iPhone models, here they are:

• iPhone 15 (and all Plus, Pro, Pro Max variants)
• iPhone 14 (ditto with potatoes for the Plus, Pro, Pro Max versions)
• iPhone 13 (mini, Pro, Pro Max)
• iPhone 12 (mini, Pro, Pro Max)
• iPhone 11 (Pro, Pro Max)
• iPhone XS and XS Max
• iPhone XR
• iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation)

And let's not forget the new ones IPhone 16, presented just a few days ago and arriving in stores on September 20 with iOS 18 already nice and pre-installed. This year, as always, Apple has done things big: lots of devices supported and ready to update!

And if you have an older but still compatible model, no problem: Apple will continue to release security updates with iOS 17.7. So, if you don't feel like taking the leap right away, you don't have to worry: your iPhone will still be safe.

All the news in iOS 18

iOS 18 brings with it a whole host of new features, which will make everyday life a little easier (and maybe even more fun).

Here is the dish of the day:

• Customizing the Home screen: Finally we can do some tidying up! Larger icons, total freedom to place them wherever we want and the possibility to change the colors of the apps. A touch of creativity that never hurts.
• Redesigned Control Center: If the old one seemed a bit boring to you, now you can organize and resize controls on multiple pages. In short, Apple has listened to our complaints (finally!).
• iMessage: New text reactions and effects, and last but not least, support for the standard RCS, to send “smarter” messages even to poor Android users. Who would have thought that?
• Photo app: Goodbye to the usual cards. Apple has decided to focus on an all-in-one layout, even if not everyone seems thrilled with the news. As always, Apple knows how to create a bit of debate.
• App Password: All passwords and passkeys grouped in one place, and icing on the cake, the ability to block individual apps with Face ID. Privacy as if it were raining.
• Game mode: Less background activity to ensure consistent framerates and reduced audio latency with AirPods and controllers. Mobile gamers thank you!

And Apple Intelligence?

Okay, now let's talk about the highlight. Apple pulled it out of the cylinder Apple Intelligence, a new technology that promises to change the cards on the table. But what can we do about it? Here's a small taste of the juiciest features:

• Reprocessing and correction of texts: Are you tired of having to rewrite messages in a formal tone? Don't worry, with a simple command you can transform a conversational message into an ultra-professional one. A bit like a translator for emails to the boss.
• Automatic creation of multimedia content: Do you want to create a video with those embarrassing photos of your friend's wedding and put on a soundtrack? Let me know at Apple Intelligence, and she will take care of everything.
• Enhanced Siri: Let's say goodbye to the old Siri. The new version will understand not only simple commands, but also more complex requests. Like sending photos taken at a specific time via WhatsApp or Telegram? Said, done.
• Smart notification management: Notifications that pop up like mushrooms will finally be managed intelligently. Only the most important ones will make it to the front row. The others? At the bottom of the list.
• Improved photo and video quality: Apple Intelligence will be the key to improving the quality of photos and videos, and you can even eliminate that unwanted cousin from group photos. In addition, there are Genmoji, emojis created from data prompts to the device.

All this stuff will be possible thanks to the new chip A18, which retires the A16 Bionic. Needless to say, Apple has set up a nice engine.

Unfortunately, for us Italians...

And now the cold shower: Apple Intelligence it will not arrive in Europe anytime soon. Apple has confirmed that the release will begin only in October 2024, and will be available only in American English, in beta version, on devices with iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1. By December 2024, they will also extend support to the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.

In 2025, other languages such as Chinese, French, Japanese and Spanish will arrive, but... there is always a catch: these versions will be destined for markets such as Canada and Chile. And us in Italy? Well, if all goes well, we can get our hands on Apple Intelligence in the 2026. Oh yeah, we'll have to wait.

So, if you were thinking of buying the iPhone 16 just for this functionality, maybe you should think about the iPhone 17 or even the iPhone 18, which will take full advantage of this technology. Patience is a virtue, isn't it?

Conclusion

In short, iOS 18 offers a lot of news to enjoy immediately, but the real game-changer, Apple Intelligence, for us Italians it will arrive quite late.

While on the one hand there is so much to explore with Game Mode and the new customization options, on the other hand, we'll have to wait a couple more years before we see the real power of Cupertino's artificial intelligence at work.

In the meantime, let's enjoy what iOS 18 has to offer and get ready for a (more or less distant) future that's all AI.